A Strigoi With A Heart?
by Hana Tenshi
Summary: Sarah Bullet used to be a Moroi vampire with the ability to control water. She was no one special just a "commoner" as the royals would call her and her family. She lived a peaceful life with two loving parents, and shared a love/hate relationship with her sister Carol. It wasn't until her tenth birthday that everything went to hell. (Rating might change in later chapters).


_A/N: (If you haven't read book 3 of this series, beware of Spoilers O.O) OK, so this takes place before Dimitri is turned into a Strigoi, but a little after Rose and Dimitri start to like each other and all that good stuff. So, Rose is back to her party girl self ;) and of course, my OC will start to like this handsome, Russian man eventually, say... in the next few chapters! :D_

_Warnings: This chapter is a little violent, but not too much._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful Vampire Academy, all credit goes to the book's author...and yeah...that's pretty much it. ENJOY!:)_

I stood anxiously outside of the classroom, waiting patiently for Headmistress Kirova to tell me to enter. I listened to what she was saying to the students inside who would no doubt protest and become angry after hearing about me.

"As you all know, today there will be a new student attending St. Vladimor's Academy," began Kirova, saying the school's name with pride "This student is neither Moroi nor Dhampir, but Strigoi." That got a huge reaction from the class. I could sense the uneasy vibes spreading through out...and fear.

"Now, now keep calm," said the Headmistress, trying to keep things from escalating further before she could explain " this student is not cruel and evil like all other Strigoi, in fact she wishes to help moroi and dhampirs alike in defeating Strigoi. I'll let her explain the rest, but when she enters, I expect you all to be on your best behavior or you will receive detention for the remainder of the school year. Is that understood?"

No one answered right away, but a few moments later a chorus of grudging groans were received as an answer. This seemed to please the Headmistress because a moment later, I was motioned to come inside of the classroom. Once fully inside, I was met with an intense, awkward silence.

Making my way to the center front, I could feel all eyes boring intensely into me, half dhampirs trained to kill my kind ready to spring into action if need be and the other half consisting of wary moroi sitting close to the nearest guardian. I was use to the reactions, so it didn't hurt me to see looks of disgust and hatred on most if their faces. Much.

I finally made it to the center and turned a steady red eyed gaze upon everyone in the class, making eye contact with each vampire. I made sure that my voice was loud and cinfident, as I began to speak. "Nice to meet you all, my name is Sarah Bullet. I am a Strigoi."

_So far so good. Still, it's best if I prepare for rude comments and the_ _like. _Just then Kirova spoke, explaining to the class that I would be telling them about my life as a Strigoi and how it is that I came to be myself again: less cruel, good, etc. Of course she made sure to remind them of detention though.

Clearing my throat and taking a silent, shaky exhalation of breath, I began my story. "Before becoming what I am today, I was a moroi. No one special, just your average vampire whose parents earned enough money to take care of family. The day that the Strigoi came and ambushed my family was on my tenth birthday. My father had just gotten off work, so it was late. Nonetheless, the night was peaceful. The crickets were making their music, the moon was enchanting alongside the stars, and everyone had a smile on their face...but as I was blowing out my birthday candles, everything went to hell..."

_I closed my eyes and wished for my family to stay together with a grin on my face. As soon as I blew out the candles, the front door of my family home was kicked in by a pale creature in all black. There were at least five like him, all with cruel smiles on their faces. They wasted no time swarming the dining room near the door in our one story home, snatching up me, my older sister by a year and my, and our mom and dad._

_I saw my mom struggling to break free of one of the Strigoi one moment, then in the blink of an eye she was on the floor, head twisted in the wrong direction. I screamed in grief, anger, and fear. My sister and father did the same, except my father seemed more angry._

_In a flash he turned on the creature restraining him, knocking a hard blow to the side of the male's face. The Strigoi stumbled back, releasing his grip around my dad who ran to me and my sister's aid, attemping to fight both of our captures. He didn't get the chance to do anything because the Strigoi he had just gottent free from was suddenly behind him. Instead of snapping his neck, he bit him gruesomely instead, draining every drop of his blood then tossing him, dead, to the side._

_My sister and I screamed again, afraid for our lives and dreading the horrible death that we would inevitably receive. It hadn't even crossed our shocked minds to use our magic. The pale creature who had just killed our father and the other who had killed our mother crept slowly up to us, eyes red and full of blood lust. In this moment, I wasn't afraid to die. As long as I went with my sister, that's all thar mattered to me. So, I reached for her hand, looked into her fear filled eyes, and smiled, letting her know that I was right here._

_She didn't smile back, but I could see that she accepted this fate as well as me. Carol squeezed my hand back, then we faced the Strigoi again, shutting our eyes tightly and awaiting our death..._

_Nothing happened. A few seconds later we were still alive, still breathing somehow. I wanted to open my eyes, but was afraid. With that, the silence and stillness continued. Even the Strigoi holding my sister and I weren't moving which prompted more curiosity within me and led me to open my eyes._

_Standing before me and Carol was another tall, pale creature, though he was taller than the others by a few inches. His red eyes fell on me, intense and frightening. He smiled and then did something that the others had not...he spoke. "Do not be afraid, young ones. You will not be harmed." I noticed his gaze shift over to my right and realized that Carol's eyes were opened as well. Hope shone on her face._

_"W-What?" I asked the male vampire, suspicion written all over mine. This seemed to amuse him and he laughed a disturbing laugh. "How brave, easily accepting death when it stares you in the face. My kind respects that bravery and we don't discriminate when it comes to men and women. We are all equal." From the growing grin on the vampire's face, I knew that something was coming, something that I wouldn't like. "I want you or your sister to become one of us, so that we can train you to become stronger less...untrained." __**Untrained meaning weak, I decided.**__ I hadn't missed the __**or**__ instead of __**and**__ in his previous words though._

_"Me __**or **__my sister?" I asked, watching the Strigoi's face carefully. I hoped that he didn't mean what I think he means. "Oh, you caught on to that did you? What an observant girl you are." He chuckled then his eyes turned serious, though a slight smirk still remained. "We do have to see his is strongest after all, though I'm betting my money on the fact that you are the toughest. I saw how you gave your dear sister encouragement in what you perceived to be your last moments alive. You had been able to accept your fate with no encouragement at all, however, and that's what I like."_

_The Strigoi holding onto Carol and I released us, apparently seeing us as less troublesome children now that we weren't struggling. For a moment, I looked past the male speaking to us and my eyes landed on my parents' murderers. Pure hatred and grief ran through me once more, no longer suppressed now that I knew I was going to live...maybe. I glared at them and growled in my throat, baring my fangs at them as an insult. This didn't seem to faze them though. They were treating the situation as though it was a joke and that angered me more._

_I heard a chuckle from the tallest Strigoi who had been speaking, and immediately snapped my head in his direction. "Indeed you are the strongest. I believe you will fit in just fine with our kind." Ignoring him, I looked to Carol who looked about ready to crumble right there. The pride and defiance that was usually within her had gone, and I briefly wondered if I would ever see it again. However, my biggest concern was whether she would fight me or not..._

As I slowly came back to myself, I felt tears prickling in my eyes and quickly blinked them away. I didn't want anyone to see my cry, not after I had vowed to never cry again since that day...that day that Carol gave into the starvation forced upon us and tried to kill me.

_Tied side by side in chairs that restrained our arms and legs, me and my sister looked like pale, malnourished ghosts. There was also foil wrapped tightly around our hands sound that we couldn't use our powers. Unfortunately, neither of us were fire users._

_ It had been an entire week since we last fed, an entire week since we were kidnapped and taken away to a Strigoi hideout, swarming with more of the cruel beings. At least one hundred were staying at this hideout, coming and going as they pleased._

_We were trapped in the basement and there was no chance of us ever escaping, so we waited and waited and waited until...one of us lost it and tried to kill the other. That was the test of strength that the tall Strigoi by the name of Max had given us. He came everyday to see how we were doing, not because he cared about us no...he came to see who was holding up best, who would crack first. The Strigoi even bet money on us, as...as if we were animals! It infuriated me, but I could do nothing about it, and as the days wore on, I sadly began to notice a change in Carol._

_She was becoming desperate, I knew. She couldn't deal with the hunger pains, or any kind of pain, as well as I could. In knowing this, I began to prepare myself for the inevitable, and decided that if anyone should leave between her and I, it should be her. I cared about her life too much..._

_Two days later, that day came. It started with her ramblings, something she would get into the habit of doing these past couple days, then she began trying to chew her way out of her restraints, only to be stopped by two Strigoi who had been ordered to keep an eye on us and report when one of us lost control._

_One held Carol while the other made a quick call to Max, informing of the events going on. He was down in the basement within two minutes, a large group of his comrades behind him peering in so that they could see who they owed money to or who owed them money. "Ah, as I thought. You are the winner," said Max, grinning viciously, "CONGRATULATIONS! You now get to feed after starving for so long."_

_He motioned for one of his minions to move Carol, who was still rambling, closer to me, baring her neck so that I could drink. The nearness of her pulse pumping blood through her veins was almost overwhelming, and I felt my chest constrict painfully as my heart rate increased, warming up my body in contrast to the freezing room. __**NO! If I gave in now, I knew that there would be no turning back. I would not be able to control myself, and would end up killing Carol.**_

_Max noticed the hesitation, but he knew that I was close to the edge and merely had his minion lean her closer to my lips so that my fangs nearly penetrated her skin. Only nearly, because he wanted to see my bite her for myself, the bastard. "You've earned this reward, don't hold back because of useless family ties. Once you become a Strigoi, you will have power and be able to take food as freely as you choose. This is just a procedure. If it look at it that way, then this isn't so bad."_

_I hated his words, but coming up with a comeback wasn't ideal in this situation, my control was slipping through my fingers too rapidly. "Go on," pushed Max, too aware of my loose control "quench your thirst with your own sister's blood." I did. Rapidly and without restraint. I drank even as I hated myself for it, as I felt tears roll down my cheeks, and as I felt darkness clouding my mind._

"Years went by in a blur, after that," I said to the class whose expressions were horrified and maybe even a little sympathetic. "Four whole years went by as I killed, stole, and did a bunch of other terrible things that I'm not proud of or can forget...but even after all that, here I am. And honestly, I can't tell you how it is that I became my sane self again. It is said that Strigoi, even when meeting someone they once knew, do not have sympathy for them or simply don't remember them, but I experienced just that when I saw an old friend. It doesn't make sense, but hey, I'm living proof."

I scanned the students and guardians once more with my gaze, then added "Thank you all for listening." With that, I turned to Headmistress Kirova who looked a little sad which is something that I could tell was not an emotion that she felt often for others. Of course a moment later though, she straightened up and became her strict aloof self again. "Thank you for telling your story to us, Sarah. N-Now, please take a seat. Someone will assist you to your classes throughout the day."

Kirova turned to face the entire class. "Behave children, and don't disrupt class." With that, she left and the extra guardians who had accompanied me and her followed suit.


End file.
